


First Day

by NeoVenus22



Category: Power Rangers S.P.D.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-26
Updated: 2009-12-26
Packaged: 2017-10-05 07:05:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoVenus22/pseuds/NeoVenus22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre-series (and written pre-series, as well).  Bridge, Sky, and Syd's first day at the Academy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Day

Bridge's bag bounced against his back as he strode down the bland hallway. He stopped in front of a door. Three-oh-five. He checked the scrap of paper in his hand. Bridge Carson, 305. "Whee." He stepped up, and the automatic door opened.

The room was divided in half. One side was barren. The other side might as well have been. A bed was neatly made, and sitting in front of a desk, with a reading lamp on, bent over a book, was Bridge's roommate, in a bright blue t-shirt. "Hey, guy, can I get a little welcome here?" he asked, and the guy looked up.

"Hello." Satisfied by this, he returned to his book.

Bridge huffed slightly. Okay, so this was going to take some adjustment. Whatever. He scanned the other side of the room, and spotted the academy uniform hanging on the closet door. It was identical to the uniform tucked in Bridge's bag. The nametag read Schulyer Tate. "Hey, Shool-yer. I'm Bridge."

The guy looked up irritably. "It's Schulyer," he said. "I go by Sky."

"Sky?" he echoed. "You wear blue, and your name is Sky?"

"Like I've never heard that before." I-go-by-Sky rolled his eyes, and went back to his book. The guy had a stick up his butt the likes of which Bridge had never seen.

Bridge threw his bag down on his bed and plopped down on the mattress next to it. He eyed Sky's side of the room. "Looking kinda plain, there, man. The decor, I mean. How long have you been here?"

"A month," he said tightly.

"Oh," said Bridge, looking away. He could feel Sky glaring at him, and heard the faint slap of the book being shut.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Doesn't mean anything, man," Bridge backpedaled. "I'm just...so, when's lunch?" he asked brightly.

"At lunchtime."

"Oh, you're quick-witted, aren't you? Usually that's me." Sky was definitely looking pissed off. Bridge fought to keep the smirk off his face; it was way too easy to get a rise out of Sky Tate. "Look," he said, standing up and crossing over to the Sky's desk. He held out his hand. "We got off to a bad start, and I feel kinda bad, since we're supposed to be roomies and all. I'm Bridge Carson, D squad."

Sky stared at Bridge's hand, then at Bridge, then finally shook. "Sky Tate. Also D-level."

"Cool. Have you met any of the rest of the class yet?"

"Only one of them has checked in so far, but she just did it today. We'll meet her at lunch."

"Is she cute?"

"We're training a team here, not running a dating service." And just like that, the vague hint of warmth and maybe even humanity Bridge had seen in Sky's eyes was gone.

"Right, right, only kidding. So, whatcha reading?"

"Academy handbook."

"There's a handbook?"

Before Sky could answer, there was a light beeping sound. He pushed his chair back and stood up, then was careful to push his chair back in. "That's the lunch bell," he said. "Let's go."

Bridge followed Sky into the hallway. This was going to be an interesting semester.

* * *

The new girl _was_ cute. In fact, she was Sydney Drew.

Bridge gaped for a few solid minutes as he watched the Olympian/model/singer sit down at the end of one of the long tables in the mess hall, staring at her tray of institution food with a cocked eyebrow and a look of apprehension. Bridge was so busy staring, in fact, that he missed when his roommate brushed past him, having finished at the lunch line, and now going to sit down in one of the empty seats in front of Sydney Drew. Bridge hastened to follow.

Sky was digging into his meal methodically, completely ignoring the boy sitting next to him, and the girl sitting across from him. "How can you eat that?" Sydney Drew asked, looking a little disgusted by either Sky or his meal choice.

"Filled with nutrients," said Sky shortly, not meeting her eyes.

"I'd rather have a burger," remarked Bridge, having just taken a bite of the blob he presumed was his main course.

"Me too," groaned Sydney Drew. Bridge chanced a glance at her, and she was smiling at him. He bit the bullet, sticking out his hand. "Hi, I'm Bridge."

She shook it. "I'm—"

"Sydney Drew," he said. "I know. I have your CD."

"What a coincidence, so do I."

Bridge couldn't tell if she was irritated by him or not. "Which level are you?" he asked.

"D," she said.

"I'm in the D squad, too," he said cheerfully.

"So we're teammates, then?" Bridge had known that Sydney Drew was hot, but he was surprised to find that in person, she had a very warm personality, and a sweet smile. He felt remarkably at ease around her, and nodded. "Well, if we're teammates," she continued, "then you can call me Syd. All my friends do."

Bridge grinned. "Cool. Syd. I like that."

Syd nodded at Sky, who was now just about clearing his tray. "He doesn't talk much, does he."

"This is my roommate Sky," said Bridge. "And no."

"Hey, Sky?" she asked, gently prodding his arm until he looked up. "Hi," she said, when she had his attention, "I was just wondering what exactly it is that we're eating."

"Academy cooking, specifically designed and engineered to provide the exact combination of nutrients and vitamins to provide us with full strength for training and missions." It was the most Bridge had heard Sky say yet.

"They might as well put it in pill form," remarked Bridge, poking at his tray again. "Same amount of flavor."

"It's good for you."

"Uh-huh." Bridge lay down his plastic utensil and smiled at his newest friend. "Syd, want to cut out of here and grab some real food?"

"You're on," she said with a grin, although she did offer a goodbye to Sky on her way out. Neither of them noticed the look that Sky cast in their direct as they exited together.

* * *

Sky looked very pissed off when Bridge returned to his room, after a fun afternoon out with Syd, exploring the compound. Bridge's roommate was sitting cross-legged on the smooth blanket stretched over his neatly made bed, and from the looks of things, had spent the entire afternoon glaring at the door as he waited for Bridge to arrive.

Bridge blinked under Sky's glare, but only for a second before going over to his side of the room to finally get around to unpacking his stuff. "You missed the tour," said Sky.

Bridge didn't turn around. "That's okay. Syd and I gave ourselves our own tour." He pulled his uniform out of his bag and shook it out vigorously. It was a little wrinkled, particularly on the arms and legs, but that was only because he didn't know how to fold. Though his back was to Sky, he could feel the other boy's disgust, just aimed right at Bridge.

"Commander Cruger is going to come by later, and talk to the D squad," continued Sky, his voice ridiculously even and condescending.

"Cool. I want to meet the BMOC." Bridge stuck a hanger through the neck of his uniform, smoothed out the shoulders, and hung it on the back of his door, a wrinkled mockery of the pristine uniform it faced. "Do you think we'll get to meet the A squad, too?" he asked. "All the original Rangers?"

Sky didn't answer. Bridge looked up from trying to match his socks, glancing over his shoulder. Sky was no longer fixating on Bridge or on Bridge's series of imperfections, but folding his hands over and over.

"Sky?" prompted Bridge. "Bro?" He wondered if Sky was even listening to him. "Do you know if we'll get to meet the original Rangers?"

"Not as cool as you'd think," the boy said shortly. Bridge frowned, puzzling that statement over, but seeing as how Sky was a man of few words, it seemed unlikely that he'd get an answer that easily.

"Um...okay," said Bridge. He gave up with his socks, grabbing the pile in his arms and dumping it in his top drawer. The door swooshed open, and they both glanced over. Syd was standing there. She waved, grinning. "Hi!"

"Hey, Syd. C'mon in," said Bridge. He waved his arms around grandly. "Let's continue our tour, shall we? This is my room. This is my side, this is Sky's side. You can tell by Sky actually sitting there. Sky, remember Syd?"

"Hi," said Sky, waving slightly. Syd fixed him with a charming smile that had won her several magazine covers, but he seemed unimpressed. With a slight shrug, she turned back to Bridge. "So what brings you here?" he asked.

"I finally found the trophy hall!" she said. "I wanted to show you." She smiled over at Sky. "We were hunting for it earlier, but kept ending up in the cafeteria. That place must have, like, eighty doors." He was uninterested by this explanation. "Do you want to come with us?" she said falteringly.

"No thanks."

"We better get going then," said Bridge, gently pushing Syd towards the door while she tried to catch Sky's eye. When it finally closed behind them, he shook his head. "I've never met anyone more antisocial," he said.

"Maybe that's why they roomed you with him," she suggested. "To get him to loosen up. I can't think of anyone more perfect for the job."

"So they're going to room you with the ugliest person imaginable?" he teased.

"I don't think they'll switch your rooming assignment this early," she retorted without missing a beat. Bridge laughed; he liked this girl. "It's right down this hallway," she said, making a sharp right turn, pushing through a door, and leading him into a hallway sparkling with plaques.

"When you said 'trophy hall', I was sort of expecting trophies," he said.

"For what? If you want shiny sports medals and cups, you have to go outside Academy walls."

"Or your room."

"Oh, don't mention that," she said, and when he glanced over his shoulder at her, she was flipping her hair off her shoulders irritably. "I just...I'm trying to stop being Sydney Drew, you know? Everyone knows who I am, and now I get a chance to actually do something and be behind a mask."

"Would you like me to set fire to your CD?" he offered with a smile.

"Go for it. Then you'll just have to buy another one," she said, winking at him. She turned back to the wall of plaques, and gasped. "Bridge, check this out!"

"What?" He stepped closer, peering over her shoulder, and read the name inscribed in the shining silver. "Commander Bronson Tate, Space Patrol Alpha, Red Ranger. Awarded for outstanding service to the community." He stared wide-eyed at Syd. "Tate? As in, Sky?"

"I think he's Sky's dad," she said.

"No wonder he didn't seem excited about the original Rangers. He grew up with them."

"Poor guy," she said sympathetically. "That would explain why he's so militant."

"And why he wouldn't want to come here," said Bridge.

"Cadet Carson and Cadet Drew, please report to the dormitory," came the announcement over the intercom in the hallway.

Bridge winced. "Oops. Sky told me that Commander Cruger was going to come speak to us..."

"Then we better get going," she said, tugging at his sleeve. As they dashed down the hall, Bridge promised himself that he would try to be more understanding of his roommate. Well, less obnoxious, at least. For now.


End file.
